Child Support in Missouri: Guidelines and Calculations

A Kansas City couple with three children agreed that the mother would have primary custody while the father had the kids every other weekend and one weeknight. He earned $7,500 per month and she earned $3,200. He assumed his child support would be a flat percentage of his income — maybe 25 or 30 percent. When they completed Missouri’s Form 14 worksheet, his obligation landed at a different number than he expected. Missouri doesn’t use a flat percentage. It combines both parents’ incomes, looks up the total support obligation on a schedule, and divides it based on each parent’s share of the combined income — then adjusts for overnights, health insurance, and childcare.

Missouri’s child support guidelines apply to every family going through divorce, legal separation, or paternity proceedings. This guide covers how the state calculates support using Form 14 and RSMo Section 452.340, what counts as income, how parenting time affects the number, and the rules for modification and enforcement. For a national overview, see our guide on how child support is calculated, and try our child support calculator for a quick estimate.

How Missouri Calculates Child Support

Missouri uses the Income Shares Model, the same framework used by roughly 40 states. The core principle: children should receive the same proportion of parental income they would have received if the family stayed together.

The calculation runs through a standardized worksheet called Form 14, approved by the Missouri Supreme Court. Both parties must complete and submit Form 14 in any case involving child support. The amount the worksheet produces is the presumed correct child support — a rebuttable presumption that stands unless a court finds it unjust or inappropriate.

Step-by-Step Calculation

Step 1: Determine each parent’s gross monthly income. Missouri defines gross income broadly. It includes wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, overtime, dividends, interest, trust income, pensions, retirement income, Social Security benefits, workers’ compensation, unemployment benefits, disability benefits, severance pay, annuities, partnership distributions, and spousal maintenance (alimony) received.

Step 2: Calculate adjusted gross income. Certain adjustments reduce gross income before the calculation proceeds:

• Subtract any child support obligation actually being paid for children from another relationship
• Subtract any spousal maintenance (alimony) being paid
• If a parent is self-employed, subtract the employer-equivalent share of FICA taxes

Step 3: Combine both parents’ adjusted gross incomes. Add both adjusted gross incomes together. This combined figure determines where the case falls on Missouri’s Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations.

Step 4: Find the Basic Child Support Obligation (BCSO). Using the schedule published with Form 14, look up the combined monthly adjusted gross income and the number of children. The schedule provides the total monthly child support obligation. When the combined income falls between amounts on the schedule, interpolate or round to the nearest figure.

Step 5: Calculate each parent’s percentage of income. Divide each parent’s adjusted gross income by the combined adjusted gross income. If Parent A earns $6,000 and Parent B earns $4,000, Parent A’s share is 60% and Parent B’s share is 40%.

Step 6: Add additional child-rearing costs. Health insurance premiums for the children, work-related childcare costs, and uninsured extraordinary medical expenses are added to the BCSO and divided proportionally between the parents.

Step 7: Apply the parenting time (overnight) adjustment. If the noncustodial parent has the child for a qualifying number of overnights, a credit reduces their obligation. More on this below.

Step 8: Determine the final obligation. The noncustodial parent’s proportionate share of the total obligation, minus any credits for costs they pay directly (such as the child’s health insurance premium), becomes the monthly child support payment.

What Counts as Income (and What Doesn’t)

Missouri’s definition of gross income is broad. The guidelines capture nearly every income source, whether earned or unearned.

Included:

• All employment income (wages, salary, bonuses, commissions, tips, overtime)
• Self-employment earnings (gross receipts minus ordinary and necessary business expenses)
• Investment income (dividends, interest, capital gains, rental income)
• Government benefits (Social Security, VA benefits, disability, unemployment, workers’ compensation)
• Retirement income (pensions, annuities, IRA distributions)
• Trust and estate income
• Severance pay and partnership distributions
• Spousal maintenance (alimony) received

Not included:

• Benefits from means-tested public assistance programs (TANF, SNAP, SSI)
• Child support received for other children
• Public housing benefits
• Adoption assistance subsidies
• Income of a new spouse or partner (though a court may consider how a new partner’s contributions affect the parent’s expenses in deviation analysis)

Imputed Income

When a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, Missouri courts can impute income — assigning an earning capacity instead of using actual earnings.

The Form 14 directions state that if a parent is unemployed or found to be underemployed, gross income may be based on what that parent could earn by using their best efforts to gain employment suitable to their capacities. Courts look at the parent’s work history, education, training, and the job market in their area.

Situations that commonly trigger imputed income include:

• A parent who voluntarily quit a job without justification
• A parent who lost a job involuntarily but failed to make reasonable efforts to find new employment
• A parent who refused offers of suitable employment
• A parent who took a lower-paying job without a legitimate reason

Missouri courts have consistently held that judges should not impute income when a parent’s unemployment or underemployment is genuinely involuntary. A parent laid off during an economic downturn who is actively searching for work typically won’t have income imputed.

The minimum wage default: A parent with no work history and no children under age 13 will be imputed income at up to 40 hours per week at the federal minimum wage or Missouri’s state minimum wage, whichever is higher. Courts consider the parent’s probable earnings based on their work history during the three years immediately preceding the case, or another relevant time period.

A father in Springfield earning $85,000 as an engineer left his position to pursue a music career, earning $18,000 in his first year. The court imputed income closer to his engineering salary, finding that his education and work history supported a much higher earning capacity than his current income reflected.

The Parenting Time (Overnight) Adjustment

Missouri’s Form 14 includes an overnight visitation credit that reduces the noncustodial parent’s child support obligation when they have the child for a significant number of overnights per year.

How the Credit Works

The overnight credit applies in cases where the noncustodial parent has the child between 37 and 180 overnights per year. The credit recognizes that when children spend time with the noncustodial parent, that parent is directly paying for food, housing, transportation, and other daily expenses — costs that would otherwise fall on the custodial parent.

The credit is expressed as a percentage reduction of the noncustodial parent’s share of the basic child support obligation. The more overnights, the larger the credit. Under the current Form 14, the overnight credit table provides adjustments up to 34% for parents with up to 180 overnights.

Equal Parenting (50/50 Custody)

In cases of true equal parenting time, the Form 14 directions provide that a credit of up to 50% can be allowed based on the specific circumstances of the parties. Even with perfectly equal time, the parent with higher income will typically still owe support to the other parent. Equal parenting time does not mean zero child support when there’s an income gap.

Credits Without Overnights

The Form 14 also allows for a credit even when no overnight custody has been ordered. For children 18 and older — such as those attending college — a credit may still apply where circumstances support an adjustment for periods of time spent with the parent, even without formal overnights.

Why Overnights Matter

The specific number of overnights in your parenting plan directly affects the child support calculation. A difference of a few overnights near the threshold boundaries can change the support amount noticeably. When negotiating a parenting plan, make sure the overnight schedule is clearly defined, including holiday and vacation arrangements.

Health Insurance, Childcare, and Additional Expenses

Health insurance for the children and work-related childcare costs are mandatory components of the Missouri child support calculation. They are added to the BCSO and divided between the parents based on their income percentages.

• Health insurance: The child’s share of medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums is factored into the Form 14. Every child support order in Missouri must address health insurance coverage. The court considers which parent can obtain coverage at reasonable cost and typically orders that parent to maintain it.
• Work-related childcare: Daycare, after-school programs, and summer childcare expenses that are necessary because a parent is working or attending school are included in the calculation.
• Extraordinary medical expenses: Recurring uninsured medical costs beyond normal out-of-pocket expenses are divided proportionally.

These costs are added on top of the basic child support obligation and split according to each parent’s income share. The parent who pays the expense directly receives a credit; the net difference determines what’s owed.

Deviations from the Guidelines

Missouri courts can deviate from the Form 14 presumed amount, but only under specific circumstances. A deviation requires the court to find that the presumed amount is unjust or inappropriate, and the court must state the reasons for the deviation in writing.

Common grounds for deviation include:

• Custody arrangements: An award of joint physical custody that results in a support amount that doesn’t provide the children an appropriate standard of living
• Shelter expense hardship: Where the parent’s reasonable shelter expenses plus child support total 60% or more of their gross monthly income
• Extraordinary expenses: Special educational needs, travel costs for parenting time when parents live far apart, or a child’s extraordinary medical needs
• Financial resources of the child: Trust funds, inheritances, or other assets held by the child
• Standard of living: The standard of living the child would have enjoyed had the family remained intact
• Needs of other dependents: A parent’s obligations to other children or dependents
• Tax consequences: The tax effects of the child support arrangement on each parent

The Form 14 directions published by the Missouri Supreme Court list specific factors and examples that courts should consider when evaluating deviation requests.

Modifying Child Support

Missouri child support orders aren’t permanent. Either parent can seek a modification when circumstances change substantially and continuously.

The 20% Threshold

Under RSMo Section 452.370, if applying the current child support guidelines to the parties’ present financial circumstances would result in a change of 20% or more from the existing support amount, that creates a prima facie showing of a substantial and continuing change in circumstances — enough to warrant modification.

The court considers all financial resources of both parties when determining whether a substantial change has occurred, including:

• The extent to which either party’s reasonable expenses are or should be shared by a spouse or cohabitant
• The earning capacity of a party who is not employed
• Changes in income, employment, or financial circumstances
• Changes in the parenting time arrangement
• Changes in childcare or medical expenses
• Emancipation of one child when the order covers multiple children

When to File

Modifications are retroactive only to the date the motion is filed with the court — not to the date circumstances changed. If your income drops in January but you don’t file until June, you won’t receive credit for those five months. File as soon as your circumstances change.

Periodic Review

Missouri’s Family Support Division (FSD) can review child support orders every three years (or sooner if there’s a substantial change) to determine whether the current order reflects the guidelines. Either parent can request a review through the FSD.

When Child Support Ends

In Missouri, child support terminates when the child emancipates. Under RSMo Section 452.340, emancipation typically occurs when:

• The child turns 18, or
• The child graduates from high school — whichever happens later
• The child gets married
• The child enters active military duty
• The child becomes self-supporting
• The child dies

Extension Beyond Age 18

Missouri is one of the states that can extend child support beyond the child’s 18th birthday under specific circumstances:

• College enrollment: If the child enrolls in an institution of vocational or higher education no later than October 1 following high school graduation, support can continue as long as the child remains enrolled and completes at least 12 credit hours per term, achieving passing grades in at least 6 hours. Support under this provision cannot extend past age 21.
• Disability: If the child is unmarried, insolvent, and physically or mentally incapacitated such that they are incapable of becoming self-supporting, child support may continue indefinitely.

Termination Process

The parent receiving child support has a duty to notify the paying parent of the child’s emancipation. The obligation is deemed terminated without further judicial or administrative process when either parent furnishes a sworn statement or affidavit notifying the other of the child’s emancipation. Missouri Courts provides an official Affidavit for Termination of Child Support (Form CS95) for this purpose.

Important: Even though the statute provides for termination by affidavit, the safer practice is to file a motion with the court to formally end the obligation. Simply stopping payments without proper documentation can put you in arrears.

Enforcement

Missouri has comprehensive enforcement tools for child support, administered through the Family Support Division (FSD) of the Missouri Department of Social Services.

• Income withholding — Missouri law directs that child support be paid by wage assignment (income withholding order). Support is deducted directly from wages and sent to the state disbursement unit for distribution.
• Tax refund interception — Federal and state tax refunds can be intercepted to cover child support arrears.
• License suspension — Driver’s licenses, professional licenses, and recreational licenses can be suspended for non-payment.
• Passport denial — For arrears exceeding $2,500, the federal government can deny or revoke a passport.
• Credit reporting — Delinquent child support is reported to credit bureaus, affecting the parent’s credit score.
• Liens — Placed on property, bank accounts, and insurance settlements.
• Bank account seizure — The FSD can freeze and seize funds from bank accounts to satisfy arrears.
• Contempt of court — Willful failure to pay child support can result in a finding of contempt, carrying potential jail time. Courts generally pursue contempt only after other enforcement mechanisms have been exhausted.
• Criminal nonsupport — Under RSMo Section 568.040, criminal nonsupport is a Class A misdemeanor (up to one year in jail). If the parent leaves the state to avoid paying or the arrearage exceeds 12 monthly payments, it becomes a Class E felony.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is child support in Missouri for one child?

There’s no flat amount. Child support depends on both parents’ adjusted gross incomes, the parenting time arrangement, and additional expenses like health insurance and childcare. As a rough reference, for combined adjusted gross income of $8,000 per month with one child under a standard parenting schedule, the basic obligation is typically in the range of $900 to $1,100 before adjustments. Use Missouri’s Form 14 worksheet or our child support calculator for an estimate based on your actual numbers.

Does 50/50 custody eliminate child support in Missouri?

Almost never. Missouri uses the Income Shares Model, which factors in both parenting time and income. With equal parenting time, the parent with higher income will still typically owe support to the other parent. The only scenario where equal custody results in zero support is when both parents have exactly the same income and child-related expenses — which rarely happens.

Can child support be modified if I lose my job?

Yes. Job loss is a qualifying change for modification. If recalculating under the current guidelines would change your support by 20% or more, that establishes a prima facie case for modification. File your modification motion immediately — modifications are retroactive only to the filing date. If the court finds you voluntarily quit, it may impute income based on your earning capacity rather than your actual lower income.

Does my new spouse’s income affect child support in Missouri?

Not directly. A new spouse’s income is not included in the Form 14 calculation. However, under RSMo 452.370, the court may consider the extent to which a party’s reasonable expenses are or should be shared by a new spouse or cohabitant when evaluating a modification request. Your new spouse has no legal obligation to support your children from a prior relationship.

Does child support cover college in Missouri?

It can. Unlike many states, Missouri allows child support to extend past age 18 if the child enrolls in a vocational or higher education institution by October 1 after high school graduation. The child must maintain at least 12 credit hours per term with passing grades in at least 6 hours. This extended support cannot go past age 21.

What happens if I fall behind on child support payments?

Missouri has aggressive enforcement tools. The Family Support Division can garnish wages, intercept tax refunds, freeze bank accounts, suspend licenses, and report arrears to credit bureaus. For arrears over $2,500, your passport can be denied. Willful non-payment can lead to contempt of court (jail time) or criminal nonsupport charges — a misdemeanor that becomes a felony if you leave the state or fall more than 12 payments behind.

How This Guide Was Researched

This guide was created by reviewing publicly available legal information from official state statutes, judiciary websites, court resources, and family law publications. The goal is to explain family law topics in plain English so readers can better understand the process before speaking with an attorney.

Sources and Legal References

This guide is based on publicly available legal information and official sources, including:

• RSMo Section 452.340 — Child Support, How Allocated
• RSMo Section 452.370 — Modification of Child Support
• RSMo Section 568.040 — Criminal Nonsupport
• Missouri Form 14 — Child Support Amount Calculation Worksheet
• Missouri Form 14 Directions, Comments for Use and Examples
• 13 CSR 40-102.010 — Missouri Child Support Obligation Guidelines

Official Missouri Resources

• Missouri Courts — Child Support Forms
• Missouri Department of Social Services — Family Support Division
• Affidavit for Termination of Child Support (Form CS95)

For more about how we research our guides, see our editorial policy and sources methodology.

Related Guides

Learn more about related family law topics:

• Divorce in Missouri: Process and Property Division
• Missouri Custody Modification
• Child Support Calculator
• How Is Child Support Calculated
• Child Support with 50/50 Custody
• How to File for Child Support
• Child Support Across State Lines
• Get a Free Consultation

Last updated: April 2026. This guide summarizes general legal information based on publicly available sources and is provided for educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice. For advice specific to your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.